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Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Huntn
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Sure, why not. I'm listening to Woodward's Rage in audiobook form.. but not at night like I usually do w/ audiobooks. Have to take that one in small doses in the daytime.
This one's been on my to-read list for a while:
Of course, reading it means I have to stop and listen to many pieces of music along the way.
Of course, reading it means I have to stop and listen to many pieces of music along the way.
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work (2010) by Matthew B. Crawford.
The thesis of this book is quite simple: we lost manual labor in favor of knowledge work, and this has deep psychological and philosophical consequences. Mr. Crawford make a compelling - albeit repetitive - case about the importance of manual labor and how focusing on creating real stuff (= real value) can help the individual and society as a whole. While this is a clear love letter to more meaningful activities, I think that the author exaggerates a bit when he rants against knowledge work. His assumption is that "office" work is mostly void of meaning, a concept I disagree with based on my personal experience (office worker, I find lots of meaning in my daily job, a job which I truly like and find fulfilling). Ultimately, I agree with him that society has put too much weight into stuff as "going to college", or pushing everything into a service-oriented economy, and I do agree with the author that we need more emphasis on manual work - which IS rewarding and should not be looked down at. However, what we need is more balance between the two worlds, not mutual exclusivity. While on the same conceptual vein of Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a favorite of mine which is quoted in Crawford's book, I found Crawford's book less compelling. I am sure that I will skim this book again, but I will not read it over and over again as I do with Pirsig's book. @Matz thanks for the recommendation.
Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap? (2017) by Grahm Allison.
I will avoid going into PRSI's territory by saying that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in foreign policy, history, and politics in general. The book explains pretty brilliantly, and with many examples, all the traps that the China-USA relationship faces every day, and how things are very volatile due to the similar goals but striking differences between the two countries. This is even more true after the Covid-19 pandemic which - regardless of who's at fault and who did what and when and how and where - WILL change the course of international relations and therefore how the world functions. @Scepticalscribe you'll like this one.
The thesis of this book is quite simple: we lost manual labor in favor of knowledge work, and this has deep psychological and philosophical consequences. Mr. Crawford make a compelling - albeit repetitive - case about the importance of manual labor and how focusing on creating real stuff (= real value) can help the individual and society as a whole. While this is a clear love letter to more meaningful activities, I think that the author exaggerates a bit when he rants against knowledge work. His assumption is that "office" work is mostly void of meaning, a concept I disagree with based on my personal experience (office worker, I find lots of meaning in my daily job, a job which I truly like and find fulfilling). Ultimately, I agree with him that society has put too much weight into stuff as "going to college", or pushing everything into a service-oriented economy, and I do agree with the author that we need more emphasis on manual work - which IS rewarding and should not be looked down at. However, what we need is more balance between the two worlds, not mutual exclusivity. While on the same conceptual vein of Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a favorite of mine which is quoted in Crawford's book, I found Crawford's book less compelling. I am sure that I will skim this book again, but I will not read it over and over again as I do with Pirsig's book. @Matz thanks for the recommendation.
Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap? (2017) by Grahm Allison.
I will avoid going into PRSI's territory by saying that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in foreign policy, history, and politics in general. The book explains pretty brilliantly, and with many examples, all the traps that the China-USA relationship faces every day, and how things are very volatile due to the similar goals but striking differences between the two countries. This is even more true after the Covid-19 pandemic which - regardless of who's at fault and who did what and when and how and where - WILL change the course of international relations and therefore how the world functions. @Scepticalscribe you'll like this one.
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Just started:
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
I've had mixed feelings about the last two Murakami novels I read, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and 1Q84. Some of the reviews I read of this book indicated it suffers from some of the same problems as those novels (namely, needless repetition and dropped storylines). But I'm willing to give it a chance.
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
I've had mixed feelings about the last two Murakami novels I read, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and 1Q84. Some of the reviews I read of this book indicated it suffers from some of the same problems as those novels (namely, needless repetition and dropped storylines). But I'm willing to give it a chance.
Just finished reading this, after starting it in February or March, I think. Didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first time through, but still a worthwhile read.
I must say that I am really enjoying this book.
Actually, there are parts of it that I must say are "laugh out loud" funny (observational funny, the sort of observations that are funny because they are so barbed, and bitingly true).
Nick Hornby has always been very good - funny, subtle, sympathetic, insightful, intelligent and very articulate - at writing, or rendering, a certain type of vaguely incompetent male nerd, but he is surprisingly good at rendering women (and I say "surprisingly" because an astonishing number of male writers can't write authentic, believable, credible or plausible women for toffee).
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I quite liked Washington Black, although I guess as I had posted earlier about this book, felt it asked for quite a bit of suspension of disbelief as the subplots were developed.
Last week finished Troubled blood, by JK... I mean, by Robert Galbraith.
It was good, a truly satisfactory read. I'm taking my time deciding what to read next, having these books queued:
It was good, a truly satisfactory read. I'm taking my time deciding what to read next, having these books queued:
- Rosewater
- Homegoing
- The raven tower
- The book of Eta (second book of "the road to nowhere")
- Untamed shore
- Ninth house
- Re-reading "the cemetery of forgotten books" tetralogy for the nth. time
You reading about this book, and it mysteriously "appearing out of thin air" on your kitchen was not impossible, just highly improbable. 😄Just reading these latest posts then went into my kitchen and saw this book on the table. Have no idea where it’s come from? I guess my son? Anyway, I’ve never read the book but perhaps now I should!
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The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson.
After which, I shall make a very welcome (and overdue) return visit to The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - Steig Larsson.
I believe you meant Tana French. She's an author I've enjoyed very much but I'm behind on the last couple.
Stay with it. I enjoyed it. Even with his faults, I always find Murakami very worthwhile.Just started:
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
I've had mixed feelings about the last two Murakami novels I read, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and 1Q84. Some of the reviews I read of this book indicated it suffers from some of the same problems as those novels (namely, needless repetition and dropped storylines). But I'm willing to give it a chance.
I read it years ago upon release. Really enjoyed it. I must give it a second go through.
Oooh, this one just arrived... Battle of Brunanburh here I come... Now, where did I put that Seaxe...
Currently wading my way trough "The long way to a small, angry planet". I'm enjoying some similarities to "Serenity" and the world(galaxy?) building of Becky Chambers.
Funny how we build book queues to facilitate choosing what to read next and frequently end up reading something different.
Funny how we build book queues to facilitate choosing what to read next and frequently end up reading something different.
